Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of HFM vs ActivTrades, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Between 51% and 89% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
HFM vs ActivTrades: HFM was founded in 2010, while ActivTrades dates back to 2001. Neither broker is publicly traded or a bank. In terms of regulation, both hold two Tier-1 licenses (considered highly trusted by ForexBrokers.com). HFM holds three Tier-2 licenses, whereas ActivTrades holds one Tier-2 license.
Trust and safety: ForexBrokers.com rates HFM at 85/99 and ActivTrades at 80/99. On its scale, 90–99 = highly trusted, 80–89 = trusted, 70–79 = average risk, 60–69 = high risk, and below 59 = should not be trusted. This places both HFM and ActivTrades in the trusted category.
| Feature |
HFM
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2010 | 2001 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 2 |
HFM and ActivTrades both earn 4 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees, but ActivTrades comes out a bit ahead in the ranking. On ForexBrokers.com, HFM is ranked #29 out of 36 brokers, while ActivTrades is ranked #22 out of 36. In simple terms, both brokers are priced around the middle of the pack, though neither is among the cheapest choices in the market.
At HFM, trading costs are slightly above the industry average. The broker says its standard accounts typically have spreads around 1.2 pips, while the Zero account shows an effective spread of 0.7 pips after commission. However, these figures are not clearly presented as true average spreads, so actual costs may be a little higher. This makes HFM a decent option, but not a standout for low fees.
ActivTrades generally offers slightly better spreads than the industry average, though it still does not match the lowest-cost forex brokers. Its main account types include Individual, Professional, and Islamic accounts, plus a demo account for practice. The broker reports a EUR/USD average spread of 0.98 pips for May 2024, and spreads are the same across account types, with costs mainly depending on the asset traded. Overall, ActivTrades has the edge over HFM for commissions and fees, but the difference is not huge.
| Feature |
HFM
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $0 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.8 | 1.08 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.1 | 0.92 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
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When it comes to range of investments, HFM and ActivTrades both give traders access to forex as CFDs or spot contracts, plus copy trading and cryptocurrency CFDs. Neither broker lets clients buy actual, delivered crypto, and neither offers U.S.-listed exchange traded securities outside CFDs. HFM lists 344 tradeable symbols and 38 forex pairs, while ActivTrades offers a wider menu with 1,267 tradeable symbols and 49 forex pairs.
The bigger difference is that ActivTrades also offers exchange traded securities on international exchanges, such as overseas shares, which HFM does not. Both brokers are rated 4 out of 5 stars for Range of Investments, but ForexBrokers.com places ActivTrades slightly ahead at #26 out of 36 brokers, compared with HFM at #29. Overall, ActivTrades provides the broader selection, while HFM still covers the main trading markets many beginners look for.
| Feature |
HFM
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 344 | 1267 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 38 | 49 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | No |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Disclaimers | Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). | Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). |
Dive deeper: Best Copy Trading Platforms.
HFM and ActivTrades both give traders a wide mix of platform choices, including free demo accounts, their own in-house platform, desktop software for Windows, and web-based trading. Each broker also supports MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5, plus copy trading, which makes it easier for beginners to follow other traders and for active users to access more familiar tools. Both platforms also let you place trades directly from a chart, which can make fast decision-making simpler.
In the Trading Platforms and Tools category, both HFM and ActivTrades are rated 4 out of 5 stars, but ActivTrades places higher in ForexBrokers.com’s ranking at #27 out of 36 brokers, compared with HFM at #34. Since the two brokers share the same main platform features, the difference may come down to details in charting, watch lists, and overall trading tools. For traders who want a choice of desktop, web, and mobile-style access through common platforms, either broker is a solid option.
| Feature |
HFM
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 38 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
HFM and ActivTrades both give traders mobile apps for iPhone and Android, along with stock and forex price alerts. Each app also lets users draw trendlines on charts and automatically saves those drawings. However, neither broker offers watchlist symbol syncing, so watchlists made in the app do not carry over to the online account.
When it comes to charting tools, ActivTrades has the edge with 30 technical studies in its mobile app, compared with just 5 at HFM. Both brokers are rated 4 out of 5 stars for mobile trading apps, but ActivTrades ranks higher overall in the ForexBrokers.com mobile category, placing #21 out of 36 brokers versus HFM at #33.
| Feature |
HFM
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 5 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When comparing HFM and ActivTrades for market research, both brokers give traders the basics they need to stay informed. Each offers daily market commentary, forex news from major sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones, a sentiment tool that shows long and short position ratios, and an economic calendar with upcoming global events. Both are also rated 4 out of 5 stars for Research by ForexBrokers.com, showing a similar overall level of support for traders who want market insights.
The main difference is in the extra tools. HFM goes further by offering Autochartist and Acuity Trading tools, which can help with technical and idea-based analysis, while ActivTrades does not offer these add-ons. Neither broker includes Trading Central or TipRanks. In ForexBrokers.com’s ranking for Research, HFM places higher at #18 out of 36 brokers, compared with ActivTrades at #27, which may make HFM the stronger choice for traders who want a wider set of research tools.
| Feature |
HFM
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | Yes | No |
| Trading Central | No | No |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | Yes | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When it comes to beginner learning tools, HFM and ActivTrades are closely matched. Both brokers offer forex and CFD education with at least 10 learning pieces, run online educational webinars at least once a month, and provide 10 or more beginner videos as well as 10 or more advanced videos. This means new traders can find a mix of basic lessons, live learning sessions, and more detailed content with either platform.
In outside ratings, both brokers earn 4 out of 5 stars for Education, which points to a solid overall learning experience. HFM has a slight edge in ForexBrokers.com’s Education ranking, placing #29 out of 36 brokers, while ActivTrades sits just behind at #30. For beginners comparing the two, the difference is small, so the better choice may come down to which broker’s teaching style and video library feels easier to follow.
| Feature |
HFM
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that HFM is better than ActivTrades. HFM finished with an overall rank of #27, while ActivTrades finished with an overall rank of #28.
HFM (HF Markets) is a global broker best known for its MetaTrader offering, solid research tools, and proprietary copy trading platform, alongside a broad selection of forex pairs and CFDs.
| Feature |
HFM
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ActivTrades
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| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 85 | 80 |
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Both HFM and ActivTrades do not offer actual (delivered) cryptocurrency purchases, but each provides cryptocurrency CFD trading.
Comparing online brokers HFM vs ActivTrades: both enable deposits and withdrawals via bank wire and Skrill, but neither supports ACH, SEPA, or PayPal, and Visa/Mastercard availability is not specified.
Please note:
We review each broker’s overall global offering – a “Yes” checkmark in our Compare Tool does not guarantee the availability of any specific features in your country of residence. To verify the availability of any features within your country of residence, please contact the broker directly.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | HFM | ActivTrades | |
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| Trust Score | 85 | 80 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | HFM Review | ActivTrades Review |
| Broker Screenshots | HFM | ActivTrades | |
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| Regulation | HFM | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 85 | 80 | |
| Year Founded | 2010 | 2001 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | ||
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | HFM | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | No | ||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | HFM | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No |
| Investments | HFM | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 344 | 1267 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 38 | 49 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Disclaimers | Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). | Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). |
| Cost | HFM | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.8 | 1.08 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.1 | 0.92 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | HFM | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $0 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | HFM | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | HFM | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 38 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | HFM | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 5 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | HFM | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | Yes | No | |
| Trading Central | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | HFM | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | HFM | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | HFM Review | ActivTrades Review |
| Overall | HFM | ActivTrades | |
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| Trust Score | 85 | 80 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | HFM Review | ActivTrades Review |
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